Fresh Tla’amin flavours inspire world-renowned chef in Lund

FRESH AT THE LUND RESORT AT KLA AH MEN: Linton Novak (above) brings decades of global kitchen skills to the 101 Bar & Grill. Follow the restaurant’s Facebook and Instagram pages for daily specials.

Executive chef Linton Novak’s global culinary experience inspires the menu at the Lund Resort at Kla Ah Men. He’s cooked for kings, presidents, and professional athletes in large private yachts and elaborate kitchens all around the world and now, he’s cooking for Powell River.

“I’ve worked in eight different countries and 12 different cities,” including Russia, India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Hungary, Georgia and Kazadhstan, Linton told Powell River Living.

A graduate of the culinary arts program at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, Linton moved to Russia as a young man. “Being overseas was fun. Moscow was still like the wild west and I saw a lot of new and interesting things.”

Working as the sous chef at The Moscow Aerostar Hotel gave Linton the opportunity to teach cooking to the staff there. It took time for him to understand that not every new recruit is willing to “work long hours, for not much pay under strenuous conditions,” as he did when he was a new chef. “When I was a student I worked for free! I had three different jobs just to get the knowledge I was hungry for,” he says.

Once he understood this, he became a better chef teacher, he reflects.

Eventually though, Linton got tired of being overseas and wanted to come home.

At the time, home meant Calgary, Alberta where he grew up and spent time working for upscale Canadian Pacific Hotels and Resorts (many of which are now Fairmont properties.) However, in 1991, he came to BC to work with the Waterfront Centre Hotel in Vancouver when it opened and fell in love with the West Coast. So, when he decided it was time to move home for good, home meant BC.

Linton put his travels behind him when he moved to Powell River in April 2019 and took charge of the restaurant at the Lund Hotel.

“Cooking is my blessing that I can give people. To me, every customer is a very important person.”

Linton brought with him the flavours and experiences he had working in kitchens all around the world and has incorporated them into the distinct local Coast Salish Tla’amin menu.

Today, the executive chef at The Lund Resort’s 101 Bar & Grill is focusing on looking after Powell River’s locals and visitors. Although the winter menu is a smaller one, it’s still interesting and diverse and Linton has received rave reviews for his noodle bowls and special desserts. The majority of the menu offers in-house recipes made by Linton.

Looking ahead, Linton wants to focus more on fresh fish and hopes to have an expanded menu of what this area has to offer with a daily fresh fish board.

Vegetarian dishes, falafel sandwiches, pizzas on Friday and of course burgers every day are always popular. Be sure to check the schedule as winter hours see the restaurant open from 12pm to 7pm Wednesday and Thursday; 12pm to 8pm Friday and Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday. Closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Although Linton cooked for the last king of Saudi Arabia and Russian goalie Vladislav Tretiak, who are arguably important people, he says that everyone he cooks for is just as important.

“I love this job, I love people. Cooking is my blessing that I can give people. To me, every customer is a very important person,” he says.